Human Impact Project

Abraham Domingo and Maria Leiva, a Guatemalan couple who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, were pulled over and detained by Border Patrol agents on August 9, 2026, while driving with their five children near Greenacres/Lake Worth, Florida. Domingo worked as a plumber and electrician, while Leiva managed the household; agents said the family's car had a license plate flagged as belonging to a non-citizen. Their 18-year-old daughter Wendy, a U.S. citizen who had just turned 18 and was driving because her parents could not, was left in charge of her four younger siblings, ages 3 to 16. A video showing the children crying and hugging their parents goodbye circulated widely online. The parents are now held in separate detention facilities in Broward County, and an immigration judge has ordered Leiva deported. Wendy said she now plans to work two jobs to support her siblings instead of attending college classes she had been accepted into to study to become an ultrasound technician, saying, 'I never thought both my parents would get taken away at the same time, leaving me in charge of my four siblings.'

Maria Perez, a Guatemalan asylum-seeker fleeing domestic violence, was arrested by ICE agents at her Nashville home on May 19, 2026, while preparing to take her two young children to a doctor's appointment. Attorneys said agents had come to serve a warrant on her husband but detained her instead, despite ICE policy generally barring detention of nursing mothers absent extraordinary circumstances. She was breastfeeding an infant and had a toddler with Down syndrome requiring ongoing medical care; the children were left in a neighbor's care without a formal plan, causing them to miss medical appointments. Perez, who has no criminal history, passed a credible fear interview, and had complied with immigration requirements since entering the U.S. in 2022, was held nearly 700 miles from home at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, where her sudden separation from her nursing infant compounded her diabetes. Advocacy groups including Sanctuary of the South, the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, ACLU of Louisiana, Amnesty International, and the Kennedy Human Rights Center filed a civil rights complaint with DHS seeking her release. She was released on August 14, 2026, reunited with her children, and continues pursuing her asylum application.

Sulma Johanna Munoz-Castro, a Honduran national seeking asylum, was detained by immigration agents outside a home in South Nashville and transported to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center. The detention followed a Metro Nashville Police Department welfare check prompted by an unfounded report of child abuse; officers found the child in good health with no signs of abuse. ICE said Munoz-Castro is facing removal proceedings, alleging she entered the U.S. unlawfully in December 2021 and missed two scheduled appointments with federal agents.

Ivan, the oldest of three siblings, was taken into ICE custody after a routine immigration check-in in Charlotte, NC, and is now held at a detention center in Atlanta, GA. He and his family fled Venezuela in 2023 seeking asylum and settled in Raleigh-Durham, where Ivan worked to help support his family. Friends describe him as someone who translates for others who don't speak English and looks out for those around him, even while detained. His bond request was approved, with a bond hearing scheduled before an immigration judge.

Luis Alfredo Morales Pérez, 50, a Venezuelan pastor who leads four Seventh-day Adventist congregations in the Houston area, primarily in Pasadena, and has served the Texas Conference since January 2023, was detained by ICE agents on Aug. 6, 2026, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport as he and his wife, Karina, prepared to fly to New York to see their daughters. His wife said two agents approached the couple by name and arrested him before they passed through security. Morales entered the U.S. in 2020 and was granted Temporary Protected Status in December 2023, which ICE says was terminated in November 2025 after the Supreme Court allowed DHS's termination of TPS for Venezuelans to take effect; his wife and attorney say he has a pending asylum case and no criminal record. The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists said he holds valid employment authorization and described his 'commitment to our mission and the families he serves' as 'unwavering,' asking congregants to pray for him and his family. He is being held at an ICE detention center in Livingston, Texas, where he has been able to speak with his family by phone while his legal team gathers documents to request bond; his case is reported to be at least the third involving a Texas pastor detained at an airport in the past month.

A Cuban detainee is currently held at the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana. He filed a habeas petition along with an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, seeking to enjoin the government from removing him from the United States, prohibit his transfer to a facility outside the court's jurisdiction, obtain an expedited briefing schedule, and secure his immediate release or a bond hearing. The court found it lacked jurisdiction to block his removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(g), which bars claims connected to the execution of removal orders. The court also denied the request to block a facility transfer, finding no evidence a transfer was likely and noting that jurisdiction attaches upon filing and is not destroyed by transfer. The court declined to expedite briefing beyond its standard procedures. Finally, the court denied the request for immediate release, characterizing it as an improper attempt to resolve the merits of the habeas petition through injunctive relief rather than through the normal litigation process.

The petitioner was paroled into the United States on June 26, 2019, and issued a Notice to Appear; he later filed for asylum and withholding of removal, and an immigration judge dismissed his Notice to Appear. On August 11, 2026, ICE apprehended him in Burbank, California, following his arrest for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, and he was served a new Notice to Appear the same day. He has since been detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. His family lost contact with him on August 19, 2026, and his attorney later learned he had suffered a possible stroke, was hospitalized for one night, and then returned to detention, where he says he needs prompt surgical evaluation; he also alleges the facility has withheld timely health information from his counsel. He filed a habeas petition and sought a temporary restraining order seeking immediate release, telephone access to counsel and family, a medical evaluation, or a bond hearing. The court found he was denied constitutionally required pre-detention process and granted the TRO, ordering his immediate release under his prior conditions of supervision and referring the underlying habeas petition to a magistrate judge.

Jasmir Urbina, a 35-year-old Nicaraguan asylum-seeker living legally in New Orleans with her husband, was defrauded by a scammer posing as attorney "Susan Millan" affiliated with Catholic Charities USA. Through WhatsApp messages and fake documents, the scammer convinced Urbina she had won residency in a virtual hearing and instructed her to skip her real immigration court check-in scheduled for November 24, 2025. Urbina and her husband paid nearly $10,000 through Zelle for the fraudulent services—money they had saved to purchase their first home. After reporting the fraud to authorities, ICE changed her scheduled December virtual check-in to an in-person meeting. When Urbina appeared for the in-person appointment, ICE agents arrested her, shackled her hands and feet, and deported her to Nicaragua in January 2026. She is now living with her mother in a remote village in Nicaragua, separated from her husband who remains in the U.S. Her case was documented in a ProPublica investigation revealing that immigration scam complaints have doubled since Trump's election, with victims reporting at least $94.4 million stolen over five years.

The petitioner is a 23-year-old native and citizen of Russia who entered the U.S. with his parents and siblings in October 2022 and has remained continuously in the country since, complying with all reporting and immigration court requirements with no criminal history. He and his family applied for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. He suffers from moderate atopic bronchial asthma requiring inhaled medication and severe, recurrent leg cramps aggravated by confinement. After an immigration judge ruled against him and his family on August 3, 2026 (an appeal now pending before the BIA), he was instructed to report to ICE for a scheduled check-in, where officers took him into custody without prior notice or an opportunity to contest the detention, and denied his requests to contact family or obtain his medication. He was transported to and remains held at Adelanto Detention Facility without a bond hearing. He filed a habeas petition and TRO application seeking immediate release, and the government did not oppose the petition. The court granted the petition, ordering his immediate release and barring re-detention absent notice and a hearing showing materially changed circumstances.

Amina Khalifa, a 23-year-old Seattle resident from Morocco who arrived on a student visa in 2023, was arrested by ICE agents on August 10 as she stepped off a flight at Sea-Tac International Airport, returning from a trip connecting through Houston. Her visa had expired, but she has a pending asylum application, no criminal record, and previously held work authorization while employed as a bank teller; her attorney, Olia Catala, said she fled Morocco over fears of persecution. On August 19, ICE agents removed another traveler from a flight at Sea-Tac gate, a person who had overstayed a visa but had an active immigration application, according to attorney Jane O'Sullivan; both detainees were taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. Attorneys say the arrests are part of a broader Department of Homeland Security crackdown targeting people with pending immigration cases but no criminal history, part of enforcement actions reported at airports nationwide, while the Port of Seattle said its police were not notified of the ICE actions.

A Guatemalan teenager who fled to the US in 2022 at age 16 to escape domestic violence has lived in the country for about four years. He was initially processed as an unaccompanied minor, held by DHS/ORR, and released to his aunt, a vetted sponsor, after being deemed neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. He currently lives in Daly City with his mother, works at a Korean restaurant, and has no criminal history. On August 10, 2026, four ICE officers arrested him outside his home, handcuffed him despite his complaints of pain, and drove him to a parking structure where he was pressured to sign a document. He filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and a TRO motion challenging the lawfulness of his detention and seeking release plus protection from re-detention without notice and a hearing. The court found he was likely to succeed on his procedural due process claims and granted the TRO, ordering his immediate release, barring removal or transfer out of the district, and setting a show cause hearing for August 24, 2026.

Iliana Noeli Lick, 30, an Argentine national who legally entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and was awaiting an asylum interview with USCIS, was arrested by ICE at Philadelphia International Airport on July 11 while attempting to travel to Kansas City to watch the Argentina national team play in the World Cup quarterfinal. Lick has worked as a nanny caring for three young children in South Philadelphia for two years and has no criminal record. She was transferred between multiple ICE detention facilities in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, where she was held with nine others in a small cell with one window and one toilet. After one month in custody, Lick was released on a $10,000 bond and required to surrender her passport and license and wear an ankle monitor. She is awaiting a court date to determine whether she will be deported or allowed to remain in the country.

A Haitian father was detained by ICE in Salisbury, Maryland, while driving home from the grocery store with his 17-year-old daughter, Maggie. Vehicles surrounded their car and forced them to pull over, and roughly half a dozen agents demanded their immigration status; officers told Maggie they would not take her because she is a minor, and her father told her he loved her and to take care of herself before being led away. The family had Temporary Protected Status and had applied for asylum after fleeing Haiti in 2021, when gang members burned down their home. His detention comes after more than 350,000 Haitians nationwide lost TPS, and community members in Maryland report growing fear of leaving their homes for work, church, or errands.

Leonel Armando Bolívar Linares, a 29-year-old Venezuelan custodian at a St. Johns County school, was detained by ICE agents on August 5, 2026, while driving to work after a traffic stop. Bolívar Linares holds a valid work permit and driver's license, has a pending asylum application, and is legally present in the country. He has no criminal record and holds a university degree in journalism. His mother, Dayana Linares, and other family members who also work at the school expressed concern about the manner of his arrest and fear of deportation, noting that returning to Venezuela would pose a risk to his safety. His union, the St. Johns Educational Support Professionals Association, backed him and demanded his release. His family is raising funds to cover immigration bond, attorney's fees, and legal expenses.

The petitioner, who had lived in the United States for years while complying with ICE check-ins and other alternative-to-detention requirements, was taken into ICE custody on August 8, 2026 when he voluntarily appeared for a scheduled ICE check-in. He had maintained a known residence and employment and remained continuously available to immigration authorities for nearly three years prior to his detention. Immigration officials claimed he violated the conditions of his prior release on an order of recognizance after being arrested for public intoxication on July 28, 2026, though no criminal charges were ever filed and he was not notified of any alleged violation until his check-in. He was previously released under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and is currently held at a detention facility while pursuing a federal habeas corpus petition and motion for a temporary restraining order challenging his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing. The court found the government failed to identify any exigency justifying detention without prior process and ruled his re-detention violated due process. The court granted the habeas petition and TRO, ordering his immediate release under the same conditions as before his detention, with no additional restrictions such as electronic monitoring unless later deemed necessary at a hearing.

Jack Chung, a lawful permanent resident and asylee who fled China after participating in pro-democracy protests, was taken into ICE custody on August 8 following what his family describes as a retaliatory report from a business associate. Chung, a father of three including a newborn, was transferred through Washington State and Virginia before being detained at a facility in Natchez, Mississippi, thousands of miles from his wife and children in Alaska. His wife Mojo is now caring for their newborn and two young sons alone in Alaska without his income, and the family is raising money for legal representation to fight the detention.

Daniel Palencia arrived in the United States in 2016 at age 11 with his mother, crossing the Mexico-U.S. border at El Paso, Texas, where they turned themselves in to immigration authorities and sought legal status. He was detained for three months in deplorable conditions, including cold rooms where temperatures dropped at night and blankets were confiscated, and overcrowded holding areas he described as "cages" designed for 4-5 people but sometimes holding 40 individuals where "we were sleeping on top of each other." After being transferred to JK Airport in New York for additional detention, his family hired a lawyer and obtained asylum status. Palencia moved to Southold to live with his grandparents, attended local schools, and has worked for Marcello Masonry for two years. Reflecting on his experience and that of detained coworker Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, he stated: "There are bad people out there. But you can't arrest everybody for the way they look or if they speak Spanish. You can't arrest hard-working people who are trying to support their families."

A Haitian man who had entered a national parole program in Manchester before relocating to White River Junction in 2025 was arrested by ICE agents at his door at 7 a.m. on Aug. 7, according to Yvonne Lodico of Grace Initiative Global. The man had employment authorization and an asylum application under review, and was moved between detention locations before arriving in New Hampshire. His wife, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said that when she followed and asked ICE agents where they were taking her husband, an agent pulled out a gun and pointed it at her while she sat in her car.

Pastor Luis Morales Pérez, a Venezuelan Seventh-day Adventist pastor who oversees four congregations in the Houston area and is a father of two daughters, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport while traveling with his wife, Karina, for a vacation to New York. According to Karina, agents approached the couple shortly after they entered the airport, called Morales by name, and took him into custody. Morales held valid employment authorization to serve with the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and had a pending asylum claim. His Temporary Protected Status, granted in December 2023, was revoked after DHS ended TPS for Venezuelan nationals, a move the Supreme Court allowed to take effect; ICE said he remained in the country after the revocation took effect on November 20, 2025. He is being held at Livingston Detention Center. Church leaders described his "commitment to our mission and the families he serves" as "unwavering" and asked congregants to pray for his family.

Debora Kapisha, a registered nurse from Zambia working at Maine Medical Center in Portland, was detained by ICE on July 30 at Boston Logan Airport after her visa expired in November 2024. According to ICE, she entered the U.S. on May 14, 2024, and remained in the country after her visa expiration. Kapisha maintained a valid registered nurse license since June 2025 with no disciplinary action and argued she had legal work authorization while her asylum case was being adjudicated. The Maine State Nurses Association organized a rally within 24 hours of learning of her detention and mobilized community support, with over 100 Maine Medical Center nurses and supporters protesting alongside Democratic officials including Senate nominee Troy Jackson and gubernatorial nominee Hannah Pingree, describing her as a trusted, compassionate caregiver whose absence affected patient care. She was released from ICE custody on August 7 following the protests. The union and MaineHealth are working to sponsor her for permanent resident status through an EB-3 visa, for which skilled nurses are eligible and exempt from standard labor certification requirements.